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Initiative offers supportive mechanisms to spur social entrepreneurship and innovation

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As a large public research institution with nearly 300 research centers, the University of Washington serves as an intellectual hub for creating innovative and impactful ideas. Many of these innovations aim to address critical population health challenges, grappling with existing social inequities and seeking to positively impact and address the needs of vulnerable populations. Despite the clear potential for this work to effect meaningful social change, it is not uncommon for researchers to encounter challenges in obtaining necessary financial support….

New research identifies COVID-19 through wastewater testing

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Image of access cover to sewer

New research from the University of Washington Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences demonstrates the efficacy of skimmed-milk flocculation for rapidly detecting COVID-19 outbreaks through wastewater. The process involves adding skim milk to raw wastewater; through this concoction, researchers can isolate and detect viral RNA. The environmental surveillance research was supported by the Population Health Initiative’s COVID-19 rapid response grants and holds the potential to serve as an early-warning system for COVID-19 detection. Learn More >

Individuals with spinal cord injury regain hand and arm function with new treatment

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A new treatment developed by researchers from the University of Washington Center for Neurotechnology has helped individuals with spinal cord injuries recover hand and arm mobility. The treatment combines traditional physical therapy with a non-invasive method of stimulating nerve cells in the spinal cord. Findings show that research study participants recovered hand and arm function for at least three to six months following the end of treatment. Some participants also noticed other improvements, including a more regular heart rate and improved…

Study finds sexual harassment claims seen as more credible if made by ‘prototypical’ women

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A new UW-led study finds that women who are viewed as “conventionally attractive” and act feminine are viewed as more credible when making accusations of sexual harassment than those who do not fit the prototype. The study was inspired by the #MeToo movement, prompting the researchers to investigate the notion of credibility and its implications for sexual harassment victims. Using written scenarios and digitally manipulated headshots, the researchers created experiments that uncovered participants’ conceptions and biases concerning sexual harassment accusations….

Nominate “unsung heroes” in population health for recognition in the Hans Rosling Center

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The University of Washington has announced an exciting opportunity to recognize and celebrate a diverse array of leaders in population health through the honorific naming of 18 spaces – including classrooms, meeting spaces and terraces – in and around the university’s new Hans Rosling Center for Population Health. Nominations of individuals or teams who should be considered for honorific naming are now being accepted by the university’s Population Health Initiative. Nominees can be alive or deceased and should be a…

UW research team works to detect COVID-19 in wastewater

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A team of University of Washington researchers are examining wastewater samples to identify and monitor COVID-19 infections on a community level. By measuring the amount of viral RNA and comparing it to the number of molecules usually present in human waste, researchers can determine the approximate percentage of people with COVID-19 in a community. The new method acts as an efficient and cost-effective strategy to detect positive cases in a neighborhood. It holds the potential to account for asymptomatic people,…

Initiative-funded COVID-19 rapid response grantees report final results

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The University of Washington Population Health Initiative funded 21 COVID-19 rapid response grants to faculty-led teams in April 2020. Since April, the interdisciplinary project teams have made significant progress towards understanding and mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on multiple facets of life. The projects are now closing out, and highlights of each one are shared in the accordions below. “The results from these 21 projects exceeded even our highest expectations for the level of impact that could be quickly realized…

Utilizing community pharmacists to provide a coordinated response to epilepsy care

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Epilepsy is among the most common neurological diseases, affecting an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Within Washington state, approximately 75,000 live with epilepsy. Though treatments exist, epilepsy care is often fragmented and uncoordinated. This directly impacts individual and population health outcomes, leading to significant health and socioeconomic disparities. In recognition of this critical population health challenge, a team of University of Washington researchers has collaborated to design an intervention model that will engage community pharmacists in implementing population health-based approaches…

Spring course seeks improvements to population health via social entrepreneurship

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The Population Health Initiative is partnering with the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship to offer a five-credit undergraduate course, “Improving Population Health through Social Entrepreneurship,” in spring quarter 2021. The course will support students in developing a fundamental understanding of social innovation and the role that social enterprises can play in addressing population health challenges. Through a combination of lectures, guest speakers, case studies and a team project, students will learn how…

New research finds COVID-19 increases mortality rate among pregnant women

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Findings from a University of Washington-led study demonstrate that COVID-19 increases the mortality rate among pregnant women, marking pregnant women as a high-risk and vulnerable group. Researchers from the UW School of Medicine found the mortality rate for pregnant mothers infected with COVID-10 was 13 times higher than those who were not pregnant. The study also revealed that pregnant women with COVID-19 faced a 3.5 higher hospitalization than similarly aged people with COVID-19 who were not pregnant. This research was…